The truth about packing medication for longterm travel is that you really don’t need much. We take two small travel pouches that contain our longterm Travel Medical Kit and medication for travel.
Unless you are planning to be miles from civilisation for days on end (we were miles away for quite a few days in the hills of Kyrgyzstan) you don’t need to go crazy with the packing. There are pharmacies in towns and cities all over the world that will stock what you need.
Rather, it’s easier to carry the essentials (like Loperamide – trust me) and stock up whenever you run out.
Here is a detailed packing list of everything that we carry in our Travel Medical Kit.
How do you know what to pack in your Travel Medical Kit?
Obviously packing a medical kit for travel is a personal thing. But the biggest variation – aside from prescription medications – is whether you are travelling as adults only, or packing for travel with kids.
It also makes a difference depending on how long you are planning to travel for.
If it is for a short holiday or vacation for a few weeks, you likely won’t need much more than Paracetamol and some bandaids. Or a basic, small first aid kit.
A packing list for longterm travel with kids is only slightly different.
We always figure we will survive as adults with less fuss with a headache or food poisoning. But it’s not quite as relaxing being in an unfamiliar country with a sick child.
Because of the age of our kids (the boys were 3 and 5 when we left New Zealand the first time) they weren’t able to swallow tablets when we originally set off for travel.
Tablets are a far less bulky option for your packing list. But there are options for kid-friendly medicines that don’t take up too much space.
- NOTE: Definitely note that I am not a medical professional.
I can’t give advice on specifics that YOU might need. But here is what WE took in our longterm travel medical kit – and what worked well for us.
Painkillers & Analgesics – Travel Medical Kit
These are the Analgesics we carry in our Travel Medical Kit:
- Paracetamol tablets (adult)
- Ibuprofen tablets (adult)
- Liquid paracetamol 100ml (child)
There is nothing worse than being somewhere new and exciting with grand plans to get out and explore while dealing with an agonising headache.
Painkillers are easy to purchase anywhere in the world (at large airports, pharmacies, supermarkets etc) so don’t worry about carrying too many.
Especially in Asia, be sure to check ahead for restrictions by country. There are certain ingredients in some over-the-counter painkillers that may not be permitted.
- Update: Our kids can now take tablets, so taking liquid Paracetamol is no long part of our kit.
Antibiotics – Travel Medical Kit
These are the Antibiotics we carry in our Travel Medical Kit:
- 1x broad spectrum penicillin antibiotic (adult – tablets)
- 1x course broad spectrum antibiotic (child – powder form)
- 1x Doxycycline tetracycline antibiotic (adult – tablets)
- Topical antibiotic ointment (not an ideal solution as can build resilience. We carried this but did not use it).
For our first few years of fulltime travel with kids, we carried powdered Antibiotics.
These can be mixed with drinking water and taking as a liquid medicine.
The downside is that the prescription of powdered Antibiotics comes in two containers. So they do take up a decent chunk of the space in an otherwise fairly light Travel Medical Kit.
Though in longterm travel you never know when you might need something. It is more reassuring to have them than not!
- NOTE: If you are taking antibiotics with you, make sure that you know HOW to use them, WHEN to use them and WHAT conditions they can treat.
Antibiotics – Travel Medical Kit
We haven’t yet ever had to use the Antibiotics we carried for the kids. In powdered or tablet form.
The boys were both too young to take tablet form medication when we first left. Though I confess we did resort to halving one Loperamide tablet in desperation somewhere in a yurt in Uzbekistan for our 5 year old when Diarrhea threatened a second day without easing.
Thankfully, he was able to swallow it and it seemed to do the trick.
I did end up taking some Antibiotics in Pakistan. But I was able to contact my dentist back home in New Zealand to seek advice for a terrible toothache! We still had one month of travel left to go in Saudi Arabia before we would be in Dubai and able to get an appointment.
So I am officially the only one of the family who has ever used the Antibiotics we have carried in our Travel Medical Kit.
I was very thankful they also did the trick!
Note that Antibiotics are not something to take without caution. In New Zealand, Antibiotics are always a prescription medication.
- NOTE: See your GP before you travel. Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics that will suit you and your child best.
Anti-Inflammatories – Travel Medical Kit
These are the oral Anti-Inflammatories we carry in our Travel Medical Kit:
- Loperamide Anti-Diarrhoeal Tablets (ESSENTIAL)
- Antihistamine tablets (adult)
- Chewable Antihistamine tablets (child)
It depends where you are travelling too, but I would say that Loperamide has been one of the most useful – and comforting – things we have carried in our Travel Medical Kit!
You can also carry a small Antihistamine cream (see below).
Creams and Ointments – Travel Medical Kit
These are the small creams and ointments we carried in our Travel Medical Kit:
- Betadine Antiseptic Ointment 25g
- Crystaderm First Aid Cream (Hydrogen Peroxide 1%) 10g
- Pimafucourt Topical Corticosteroid cream 15g
- Savlon/Total Antiseptic Cream 40g
- Antifungal Cream 15g
- Lucas Pawpaw Ointment 25g (especially good for sunburnt lips)
A small tube of antiseptic cream can work wonders to prevent infection.
You definitely don’t want to get an infection while travelling. Note that especially in warmer, tropical climates small grazes can easily become infected.
Other Bits & Pieces
These are all the other items we carry – and restock as needed – in our Travel Medical Kit:
- Digital Thermometer (my Mum insisted we take one and bought this for us at Auckland Airport!)
- 5ml Plastic Syringe for measuring liquid Paracetamol for the kids
- Bandaids/Sticking Plasters, gauze and knee-grazing-size wound covers (good strong bandaids are essential, though you can buy budget ones anywhere)
- Female Sanitary Supplies
- Electrolyte Rehydration Powder or Oral Rehydration Sachet (ORS) to help treat vomiting and diarrhoea
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Tape
- 2x Safety Pins, clean needle and thread (this was primarily for sewing but was a lifesaver for prickles in Fiji).
The main other treasure in our Travel Medical Kit that is always used and replenished is the Oral Rehydration Sachets.
These are a reassuring thing to carry, especially in South Asia, where there is always the anxiety of getting Delhi Belly or dehydrated in the heat.
You can buy this at any of the pharmacies for less than $1 in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or Nepal.
- Read our tips for how to avoid Delhi Belly travelling in South Asia.
Documents – Travel Medical Kit
- Copies of your passport and travel documents
- Copies of any prescriptions (medical supplies, prescription medications, glasses etc)
- Health/Travel Insurance details and contact
- Proof of vaccinations (polio, Yellow Fever, Covid-19)
These can be paper or electronic copies saved on your phone. But it always pays to have a backup of any medical and insurance documents.
- Read about getting Dengue Fever in India and ending up in a hospital in New Delhi.
Small First Aid – Emergency Travel Medical Kit
Depending on how thorough your travel medical kit and packing list is, it can be advantageous to take a small emergency kit.
You could look at one like this:
Or you can make up your own.
This should include items like bandaids, a bandage and anything you might need in a minor emergency.
Don’t double up if you are already carrying these things. Consider how best to pack and carry these items. It can be handy in a pre-packaged kit like this to grab and stash in your daypack for day trips and outings.
Tips for packing your Travel Medical Kit
There are a few things to be aware of packing your Travel Medical Kit:
- Medication Regulations: Note in many countries in Asia (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Japan and many more) that Codeine is banned and highly illegal. Check the contents of medication you are carrying.
- Know The Contents: It’s important to know the contents of any medications you are carrying, regardless of whether they are prescription or not. Check restrictions of each country before travelling.
- Ask Your GP: Prior to departing, I visited our GP in New Zealand to discuss the contents for our medical kit and to get prescriptions for antibiotics and topical creams that we carried.
- Restocking: Buying and refilling your medical supplies at international airports and duty free is a good idea to keep up to date and be reminded of any restricted items.
*UPDATE: I wouldn’t change anything we took in our travel medical kit. However, I do feel extremely fortunate we didn’t need use of the Antibiotics for the kids. We did use the liquid paracetamol on multiple occasions, as well as topical Antiseptic creams – and the ORS.
Useful links for travel planning
These are the companies we use and can recommend for planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. It is easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere online.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Make sure you have insurance before you travel – even with your travel medical kit packed!